“Falsely Called Anabaptists”

Just a note to say that I added my Sacraments paper to my Papers page – “Falsely Called Anabaptists”: The Particular Baptist Doctrine of Baptism

Pilgrim-Ness

It’s no great secret that I am not overly fond of the location of our dearly beloved seminary. Westminster has the misfortune to be located in Escondido, which, for this NorCalian, is an unfortunate city — too many people who make entirely too many dreadful drivers, the weather is straight out of Jude 12 and 2 Peter 2:17, and there is a distinct lack of open spaces. (There is a reason I was determined to never, ever go to grad school in SoCal – Providence said otherwise, though.)

I should note – Westminster is actually an excellent example of the quality of a school overcoming its location.

Lord willing, though, I’m in Escondido for only a relatively short time. It’s not in any way, shape, or form home for me even though I spend at least 9 months out of every 12 there.

In other words, it’s quite the temporary situation, and that reminded me that the Church, too, is in a temporary situation. Christians are pilgrims in this world. Like the exiles from Judah in Babylon, we live, we marry, we have children, and so on and so forth. We live our lives quietly, working for the best of our society so that we may live peacefully. But, in the end, we are still sojourners and exiles, and that’s good to remember.

Predestiniarianism and Covenant

HT fellow student Nic Lazzareschi for this Dr. Horton quote -
“Predestinarianism without the covenant becomes what Calvin warned against: the labyrinth from which we can never safely emerge.”

How to Destroy the Book

If you love books, you will read this – a transcription of a speech given by Cary Doctorow at the National Reading Summit. The first half is entirely about books and is most excellent. The second half is about copying and the destruction of our freedom in the name of “protecting copyright”. The whole thing is brilliant.

Cur Deus Homo

The past couple of years, I’ve taken to celebrating Christmas with a bit of Athanasius, but I’ve done that twice in a row now, so here’s a bit of Anselm instead, taken from chapter three of book one of Cur Deus Homo.

Boso. Infidels ridiculing our simplicity charge upon us that we do injustice and dishonor to God when we affirm that he descended into the womb of a virgin, that he was born of woman, that he grew on the nourishment of milk and the food of men; and, passing over many other things which seem incompatible with Deity, that he endured fatigue, hunger, thirst, stripes and crucifixion among thieves.

Anselm.. We do no injustice or dishonor to God, but give him thanks with all the heart, praising and proclaiming the ineffable height of his compassion. For the more astonishing a thing it is and beyond expectation, that he has restored us from so great and deserved ills in which we were, to so great and unmerited blessings which we had forfeited; by so much the more has he shown his more exceeding love and tenderness towards us. For did they but carefully consider bow fitly in this way human redemption is secured, they would not ridicule our simplicity, but would rather join with us in praising the wise beneficence of God. For, as death came upon the human race by the disobedience of man, it was fitting that by man’s obedience life should be restored. And, as sin, the cause of our condemnation, had its origin from a woman, so ought the author of our righteousness and salvation to be born of a woman. And so also was it proper that the devil, who, being man’s tempter, had conquered him in eating of the tree, should be vanquished by man in the suffering of the tree which man bore. Many other things also, if we carefully examine them, give a certain indescribable beauty to our redemption as thus procured.

Merry Christmas!